Spicy Pink Turkey Bolognese over Quinoa Pasta Shells served with Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread

Green Girl Goodies, November 2012

This sauce is a tasty spicy twist on your traditional Bolognese sauce.  Ground Turkey is a healthier option than your typical ground beef and I added some crushed red pepper to the onions and garlic while they were sweating to give the sauce a little kick.  While it isn’t the healthiest option, I added a little cream as well to add some richness to the sauce.  The sauce would be delicious in a lasagna or over any sort of pasta but I chose to serve it with Quinoa pasta shells hoping the added nutritional value of the quinoa pasta would slightly offset the heavy amount of dairy and carbohydrates already in the meal  :)  I paired the pasta with some delicious Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread and topped it with some grated parmesan for a pleasant and satisfying meal; great in the cold winter weather!

Spicy Pink Turkey Bolognese Sauce

Yield approximately 4 ½ c

1 lb Ground Turkey

2 ½ c Diced Tomatoes in Juice

1 1/3 c Yellow Onion, small dice

6 oz Tomato Paste

2/3 c Heavy Cream

2 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ½ tb Garlic, minced

1 tb Crushed Red Pepper

1 tb Kosher Salt

12 Turns Freshly Ground Black Pepper

-     Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper.

-     Sweat the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper then add the ground turkey.  Add a ½ tb of salt and all the pepper.  Stir to cook, using a spoon to break up the turkey as it cooks.

 

 

 

-     Once the meat is cooked thru reduce the heat to medium and add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and remaining ½ tb of salt.  Stir well to mix and thicken the sauce.

 

-     Slowly add the cream, stirring to mix.  Reduce the heat to low and bring the sauce to a simmer briefly to finish cooking the sauce.

 

-    Serve immediately over your choice of pasta or cool completely and refrigerate for up to a week.

Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread

Yield 2 to 4 servings

2 tb Butter

1 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tb Slice Garlic

1 tb Dried Oregano

1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 pinches of Sea Salt

3 Turns of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

1 large slice of Muenster Cheese

1 6 inch Baguette

-     Combine all the ingredients in a small sauté pan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat, being careful not to burn the butter.

-     Simmer the ingredients until fragrant then spread them onto your bread.  Then top the bread with the sliced cheese.

-     Broil the prepared garlic bread for approximately 2 ½ minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.  Enjoy immediately!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Additional Ingredients:

Quinoa Pasta Shells, cooked according to package instructions and held hot

-     Divide the pasta accordingly and add your preferred amount of sauce.  Top the dish with grated parmesan cheese as desired and complete the meal with the Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread.

Up Next…

Breakfast Egg-Fu Frittata topped with Fresh Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomatoes

Asian Marinated Sirloin Steak Stir-Fry

Green Girl Goodies, November 2012

This tasty stir-fry packs a nutritional punch with the added protein from the tofu and an array of nutrient dense vegetables like broccoli and spinach.  When stir-frying I like to use the entire broccoli, including the stem.  I slice it thin and it adds a nice texture to the dish.  I marinated the steak in a simple Asian marinade comprised of soy, ginger, garlic, onion, sriracha and honey.  I used the same marinade when baking the tofu to give it some added flavor.  I served the dish over brown rice to complete the meal; however, it would be just as delicious over your favorite Asian noodle!  The recipes below come together to create 2 large portions or 4 smaller portions of a tasty yet nutritional dish.

Basic Asian Marinade

Yield approximately 1 cup

¼ c Soy Sauce

1 ½ tb Honey

1 tsp Sriracha

½ c Yellow Onion, roughly chopped

1 tb Ginger, fresh, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tb Garlic, crushed

-     Place the onion, ginger and garlic into a food processor and pulse until minced.

-     Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  The marinade can be held properly refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.  In addition to being great for steak and tofu, it is also a nice complement to chicken.

FOR THE STEAK:

1 10 oz portion Sirloin Steak, cut into thin strips

-     Pour the marinade over the steak and mix well to make sure the marinade covers all the meat.  Let marinade for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

FOR THE TOFU:

1 16 oz pack Firm Tofu, cut into thin rectangles

-     Use a spoon to cover the tofu with the marinade and let stand for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

 

FOR THE STIR-FRY:

Really any combination of vegetables can be used…I like to use stir-fry’s to clean out my fridge and this time I happened to have garlic, ginger, broccoli, red pepper and onion.  I am a huge fan of the combination of beef and broccoli so the timing worked out well!

2 ½ tb Ginger, minced

2 tb Garlic, minced

2 c Broccoli, florets and stems

¾ c Yellow Onion, medium dice

1 ½ c Red Peppers, medium dice

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Additional Ingredients:

½ c Brown Rice, uncooked

2 c Baby Spinach

-     First start the rice and remember:  brown is the healthy, more flavorful option but takes approximately 40 – 45 minutes so plan accordingly!

-     The tofu could be pan seared but this time I chose to bake it at 375 for approximately 7 minutes, rotating the pan halfway thru.  I then placed it under the broiler for approximately 9 minutes to get a nice crispy outer layer.  While the tofu was cooking, I prepared the beef and vegetables on the stove top.

-     I heated a cast iron skillet and added a tablespoon of olive oil to sear the beef.  The key is to get the pan extra hot but not smoking to get a nice color on the meat.  You also need to cook the meat in batches because if you overcrowd the pan the beef will not get the delicious outer crust on the meat and it will steam itself in its own liquid.  After getting a nice sear on one side, flip the beef and add a small amount of broccoli florets so they can soak up some of the beef flavor.

-     After starting the first round of beef, I heated another pan and added a tablespoon of olive oil.  Once the oil was hot I added the onions, garlic and ginger and cooked them for a minute until slightly browned.  I then added the peppers and broccoli stems and tossed to mix.

-   Meanwhile, continue batch cooking your beef and broccoli.  Cook the meat to your desired doneness.  After the first batch, remove the beef and broccoli, set aside and reheat the pan for the second batch.  After the second batch, remove the beef from the pan and set aside, leaving the broccoli and juices in the pan.  Add the broccoli from the first batch back into the pan.  

-     I then added the stir fried vegetables into the cast iron pan with the broccoli and cooked it for an addition 2 – 3 minutes to finish the vegetables.

-     Place the cooked rice on the plate first, and then add the spinach.  Next add the stir fried vegetables and try to cover most of the spinach so it wilts slightly.  Top the vegetables with the beef and tofu and enjoy!

Up Next…

Spicy Pink Turkey Bolognese over Quinoa Pasta Shells served with Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread

Sunday Smoothies: Peanut Butter-Banana-Coconut with Soy Milk

Green Girl Goodies, October 2012

This smoothie is rich and delicious as well as healthy.  The fat content is significantly higher than most fruit and vegetable smoothies I have made in the past however the fat is plant based monosaturated fat, the “good” kind of fat.  Regardless, I think it is important to indulge on occasion!  The “So Delicious” dairy free ice cream is one of my favorite non-dairy ice cream options and it adds a nice creamy element to the smoothie.

Yield 2 large 22 oz servings or 4 small 11 oz servings

2 ea Bananas, medium

2 c Soy Milk, Vanilla

¾ c “So Delicious” Dairy Free Coconut Ice Cream, Vanilla Bean

2 tb Peanut Butter, Crunchy

2 tb Honey

-     Use a metal spoon to “cut” the bananas into small pieces.

 

-     Add the ice cream, soy milk, peanut butter and honey.  When adding the peanut butter and honey, do your best to place it in the middle so it doesn’t get stuck to the sides of the blender.

 

 

 

-     Blend well and split servings accordingly.

 

Calories:  509

Fat:   19.9 g or 24% of D.V.*

Protein:  11.9 g or 24% of D.V.*

Fiber:  12.2 g or 44.5% of D.V.*

Sugars:  64.9 g

*Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

*Nutrition facts based on a large 22 oz serving

Next Sunday Smoothie: 

Pineapple-Blueberry with Spinach, Tofu and Cranberry Pomegranate Juice